If anyone else is taking neurontin for nerve pain, can you tell me what your experience has been?

... like? Beside the effects on your nerves, what are the effects on your body and mind?

My physician prescribed it to me yesterday for nerve pain from an injury. I took it last night and I was high as a kite. I had a hard time with my balance and vision. This morning I almost felt as though I had a hangover. I have a VERY high drug tolerance and metabolize them at a quick rate so I'm wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience

Responses (34)

How much did he start you off on? I have a tendency to keep meds around for a while, even benadryl knocks me for a loop, and I can say I've never had that effect from neurontin. I was started on a low dose and worked up. I hardly know I've taken it except for the easing of pain.

She started me on 300mg, and I'm not sure where that sits on the dosing spectrum. She's been my doctor for a while now and knows about my drug metabolization so I trust her on dosing. The thing is, I'm wondering if it could be because of the combination of the neurontin with the drugs I take for maintenance for my other issues.

I take 60mg of vyvanse daily in the morning and 100mg of Zoloft at night. I also have 1mg pills of Ativan but I only take them when my anxiety is crippling. I try to stay away from the benzodiazepines since I have to take stimulants.

Thank you so much. I don't take Zoloft for the ssri qualities, it's used as a sleep aid in my case to mellow out the effects of my stimulants and to help with night terrors, so I may ask if I can forgo the Zoloft while on the neurontin since it seems to have the same nighttime effects. Thanks so much for your help!

I used to take neurontin and I have never had that reaction to it. How high is your dose? My doctor took me off of it because it didn't help me. If I were you, I would tell my doctor as soon as possiable how it made you feel. You may just be sensitive to it. but I wouldn't let it go too long without telling your doctor.

I'm only on 300mg and from the other discussions I've had it seems plausible that its an interaction with the other depressants I'm on. I will ask her about it on Monday though. What were you taking it for? It has definitely helped with my pain level today. I've had no flare ups with my sciatica and my arm sensitivity and numbness isn't bothering me nearly as much.

I was taking it for 2 different things. Migraine headaches and back pain from a car accident where I ended up with 4 crushed vertebra in my back. and I think, if I can remember right, I was taking 300mg once a day.

and if you are on other medications it could be a reaction from taking them at the same time. If you are taking any pain killers, especially narcotic pain killers it may cause you to have that "high" effect. But, let your doctor know.

You should listen to Brandy and Kaismama-and combine their advice. Go talk to your doctor--- You probably got started at too high of a dose. I've used it several times- and was always started on 100 mg. Mine was for nerve damage from a surgery. I'm not saying that your doctor made a mistake, but sometimes they ever misread their own charts. They also have bad days, or have up as attendings for long surgeries. My doctor did this yesterday. I went in for constant nausea in Feb or March. He prescribed a med-but wanted to try using Zantac regularly 2/day. I was using Zantac as needed-none- 3 a day- So I didn't take the med-and tried using my Zantac regularly-It solved the problem. So yesterday he asked me about the nausea med. I reminded him that his plan of taking Zantac regularly took care of the problem. Then he was so happy that he's a genius-and I'm following his instructions. But doctors have days where they need to be refreshed about something.

I had a doctor care for me. He seemed sad-and slightly unfocused- but a quality doctor. I went out and a sgt asked me how he was doing. He just got news that his best high school friend was killed in the Oklahoma City bombing. So talk to your doctor and tell him what's going on with you. I've never had those symptoms, and I ended up taking very high doses for a long time.

I LOVE neurontin. It probably has been the best medicine that I have ever taken. BUT, I cannot take it. I am reduced to one 300mg capsule, once a day. It causes severe weight gain and fluid retention on me. I gained over 80 pounds when I first was taking it at the highest dose possible, because it helped me that much. They kept telling me that I was eating too much. Finally, they took me off, and boy oh boy did the weight start falling off, at least most of it. Like I said, I am still on the one 300mg, which they feel is a "nothing" dose, wouldn't bother you to come off it, and it can't possibly be doing me any good. WRONG. I tried, After the first three days of w/d, I couldn't stand the pain anymore. After two weeks, I went back on the one capsule. So what doctors read, and what actually happens to your body, are two completely different things!!

So, last night I took it without the Zoloft and while I didn't feel hungover this morning, I was still loopy last night. It's almost like being drunk with a clear head. I feel the wobbles in my body and have a hard time keeping my eyes focused but I don't feel dizzy in the head like when I drink.

I have, however, noticed that I get really hungry about an hour after I take it. Is this normal? I know people have talked about weight gain but it seems more severe at higher doses.

I'm still going to call my dr tomorrow to get her feedback on all this as well but I was curious to how other patients weigh in on it. Thanks to everyone who has been in touch :)

Wow!! that is really strange! Like I stated before it never did this to me, but do call your doctor tomorrow and I hope that you get it worked out and that you can find the same relief as some of the other posters have had. It didn't really help me as I said before, but from other ppl whom I've talked to who take it it was a God send to them. Good luck to you Zombievickers, and take care! :)

did it help you for what you needed it for. I was prescribed it in the past and I took it for a few months and it did nothing for me. I also had no side effects. Maybe your response from using it might have been beacause you mixed it with an other drug.if it works for your pain hopefully you can get use to it.

I was taking Neurontin (900mg/day) for trigeminal neuralgia. I did not tolerate the drug, I was drowsy most of the time, depressed and it did nothing for my pain, in fact, I think it made my pain worse. However, other people with trigeminal neuralgia (nerve pain in the face) seem to tolerate Neurontin better than other anticonvulsants, and they get relief using this medication. Everyone's body chemistry is different and so is our reaction to medication, I believe.Oldriska

Hi Zombievickers, Like Lyrica, Neurontin (or Gabapentin) can cause that high as a kite feeling. Unpleasant, for most of us, to say the least.I had some pain relief (Fibro), accent on the word "some". It did not give me that high feeling, yet Lyrica, most assuredly, did cause that side effect.I also had some major cognitive issues with Gabapentin, such as hunting for the correct word, which I found incredibly embarrassing. Memory issues were one of the most annoying side effect. I would forget why I had gone into a particular room in my home and thought I'd early onset dementia! It's kind of funny, really, yet when I look back at it, the memory loss was quite alarming. Gab can be a lifesaver for some people, and I suspect you may be one of those people. Give it a shot, you may really find great pain relief from this medication!Best wishes to you ZV,Mac

I take that drug too, I haven't noticed a differance with it, I don't know what it's supposed to do, I should ask my pharmacist about it. I have dizziness when I bend over or just turning around to look behind me. I don't know if it causes dizziness but I sure feel like I am having more problems with dizziness with the medications I take than I did when I was a teen and not taking any medications.

I was getting a limited result from taking the Gabapentin; but I started taking it at night with two Tylenol and it does wonders for me. I sleep better and feel great for most of the day. I don't take anything else until night time again.

I was perscribed Neurontin/Gabapentin at 300mg 3x's a day on May 14, 2014. My experience besides the dizzy, drunk, hangover feeling has been sleeping anywhere from 16-20hrs per 24hr period. This is NOT normal for me, I usually sleep 4-6hrs per night. I am also finding it hard to accomplish anything and have a "foggy" head most of my awake time. I also have an extremely high tolerance for pain and most other medications. So to me, something is not right; although I am completely pain free, I feel a lower dose may be in order.

I have taken Neurontin (Gabapentin) for the past ten years or so. I currently take 600mg tablet's. I take 2 pills in the morning 2 in the afternoon and 3 at bedtime. It help's with the forking in my side's. It drove me crazy and on day's the forking is unbelievable,( if I do not take medication). I also take other medications to help curb the pain for my TM.

My Dr. started me on 100 mg. 3 X daily. I took it for 2 months. It did work for me however the only side effect I had was weight gain and I look like I was the Michllen Man. I've now been put on 50 mg. a day of Topamax. Dr. Said it works for nerve pain and can actually make you lose weight. My pain Dr. also wants to put a nerve pulse generator in my back. Not to sure about that yet.

How is the Topomax? Also, try a TENS unit stimulator for pain before undergoing the implant. See if it helps. You need a prescription and a PT can instruct you. They are very portable, about the size of a pack of cigarettes. When I travel, sitting for hours on a plane or sleeping in an uncomfortable bed, it has done wonders for me. I just started on Gabapentin and it too makes me feel drunk or slightly dizzy. But last night was the first good night sleep I've had in quite a long time.

I take 3800mg a day of Gabapentine/Neurotin for CRPS and Post Herpetic Neuropathy. What you're expirencing is normal. You build tolerance. I spent the first two weeks on it at 1800mg in a virtual coma sleeping 12-15hrs a day! What you're expirencing is complety normal. Hope you get relief!

My pain management doctor started me out on neurontin a little over a year ago for damaged sciatic nerve pain from degenerated and herniated discs in my lower back. I started with one 300 mg capsule a day then slowly increased over the next 3 days to taking 3 300 mg capsules a day. At first I had similar effects, dizziness, trouble speaking and remembering, involuntarily eye movement, balance issues, even muscle twitches, basically every side effect listed on the literature that came with the prescription. But after about two weeks, maybe less, I began to get used to the medicine and the side effects slowly diminished. Now they are barely noticeable. Keep at it, it will get better. I have since gone up to 4 300 mg capsules a day. It has been a miracle for me! As bad as my back pain is, my nerve pain down my legs was beginning to overshadow that. Now I just deal mainly with back, I hardly have issues with my legs now.